UI: Allow Float Kerning for Text Objects #105181

Damien Picard · 2023-02-24T16:14:35+01:00

Damien Picard commented

2023-02-24 16:14:35 +01:00

Change Text Object character kern member to float from int, and allow
fractional changes to kerning with Shift-Alt-arrows.

Currently, the kerning used to change spacing between characters in a
text object is defined as int values. This is enough for most cases,
but for very demanding typesetting, say a logo or calligram, one may
need more precision.

Say you want to combine "u" and "n" for your DunE logo:

nnnnnn    nnnnnn       nnnn  nnnnnnnn
n::::n    n::::n       n:::nn::::::::nn
n::::n    n::::n       n::::::::::::::nn
n::::n    n::::n       nn:::::::::::::::n
n::::n    n::::n         n:::::nnnn:::::n
n::::n    n::::n         n::::n    n::::n
n::::n    n::::n         n::::n    n::::n
n:::::nnnn:::::n         n::::n    n::::n
n:::::::::::::::nn       n::::n    n::::n
 n:::::::::::::::n       n::::n    n::::n
  nn::::::::nn:::n       n::::n    n::::n
    nnnnnnnn  nnnn       nnnnnn    nnnnnn

You might want to combine the right stem of the u, with the left stem
of the n:

nnnnnn  nnnn  nnnnnnnn
n::::n  n:::nn::::::::nn
n::::n  n::::::::::::::nn
n::::n  nn:::::::::::::::n
n::::n    n:::::nnnn:::::n
n::::n    n::::n    n::::n
n::::n    n::::n    n::::n
n:::::nnnnn::::n    n::::n
n::::::::::::::::n  n::::n
 n:::::::::::::::n  n::::n
  nn:::::::::::::n  n::::n
    nnnnnnnn  nnnn  nnnnnn

To achieve this you need fine precision to align the letters together.

Another limitation this change removes is that the kerning is
currently limited to the [-20,20] range. If you’re trying to fill a
shape with words, you may need very large kerning to take the letter
far enough apart from each other. You could also use spaces, but they
have the drawback that they have to be inserted manually between each
pair of letters, instead of just kerning the entire line at once.

In addition, this change adds shortcuts to increase or decrease
kerning by increments of 1/10.

The real-life use case I had was doing this sticker:

This type of thing is surprisingly hard to do because you need to control the position of each letter to get a good outline and a somewhat consistent type color. I started doing it in Scribus because it offers precise kerning, but ended up patching Blender to add float kerning.

Change Text Object character `kern` member to float from int, and allow fractional changes to kerning with Shift-Alt-arrows. --- Currently, the kerning used to change spacing between characters in a text object is defined as int values. This is enough for most cases, but for very demanding typesetting, say a logo or calligram, one may need more precision. Say you want to combine "u" and "n" for your DunE logo: ``` nnnnnn nnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnn n::::n n::::n n:::nn::::::::nn n::::n n::::n n::::::::::::::nn n::::n n::::n nn:::::::::::::::n n::::n n::::n n:::::nnnn:::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n:::::nnnn:::::n n::::n n::::n n:::::::::::::::nn n::::n n::::n n:::::::::::::::n n::::n n::::n nn::::::::nn:::n n::::n n::::n nnnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnn nnnnnn ``` You might want to combine the right stem of the u, with the left stem of the n: ``` nnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnn n::::n n:::nn::::::::nn n::::n n::::::::::::::nn n::::n nn:::::::::::::::n n::::n n:::::nnnn:::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n::::n n:::::nnnnn::::n n::::n n::::::::::::::::n n::::n n:::::::::::::::n n::::n nn:::::::::::::n n::::n nnnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnn ``` To achieve this you need fine precision to align the letters together. Another limitation this change removes is that the kerning is currently limited to the [-20,20] range. If you’re trying to fill a shape with words, you may need very large kerning to take the letter far enough apart from each other. You could also use spaces, but they have the drawback that they have to be inserted manually between each pair of letters, instead of just kerning the entire line at once. In addition, this change adds shortcuts to increase or decrease kerning by increments of 1/10. ----- The real-life use case I had was doing this sticker: ![image](/attachments/ecd84584-d507-489e-9ccf-91d66d534340) This type of thing is surprisingly hard to do because you need to control the position of each letter to get a good outline and a somewhat consistent type color. I started doing it in Scribus because it offers precise kerning, but ended up patching Blender to add float kerning.

image.png

101 KiB

Jeroen Bakker added a new dependency 2023-02-24 16:26:06 +01:00

#105183 Vulkan: Resource Submission Tracking

Jeroen Bakker removed a dependency 2023-02-24 16:26:11 +01:00

#105183 Vulkan: Resource Submission Tracking

Harley Acheson commented

2023-02-25 16:32:05 +01:00

@pioverfour

Can you include more detail? Maybe illustrate a situation where the current precision is too small, and the current limits are too narrow? Including captures can really help. You want to make it as easy as possible to understand and review without having to dig, explore, and test ourselves. The following explains what is requested:

https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Process/Contributing_Code#Ingredients_of_a_Pull_Request

@pioverfour Can you include more detail? Maybe illustrate a situation where the current precision is too small, and the current limits are too narrow? Including captures can really help. You want to make it as easy as possible to understand and review without having to dig, explore, and test ourselves. The following explains what is requested: https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Process/Contributing_Code#Ingredients_of_a_Pull_Request

👍 1

Damien Picard force-pushed dp_kerning_float from 2ca79b9632 to 8b230c598e

2023-02-25 18:45:22 +01:00

Compare

Brecht Van Lommel requested review from Harley Acheson 2023-03-17 12:41:11 +01:00

Brecht Van Lommel added this to the User Interface project 2023-03-17 12:41:16 +01:00

Brecht Van Lommel removed this from the User Interface project 2023-03-17 12:41:23 +01:00

Brecht Van Lommel added this to the Modeling project 2023-03-17 12:41:27 +01:00

Brecht Van Lommel requested review from Campbell Barton 2023-03-17 12:41:59 +01:00

Harley Acheson changed title from ~~Font kerning: allow float values~~ to UI: Allow Float Kerning for Text Objects

2023-03-17 17:46:40 +01:00

Harley Acheson commented

2023-03-17 18:04:43 +01:00

@pioverfour - sorry for not responding earlier. I missed that you had updated this so nicely and provided good example usage.

Yes, I can completely agree with you on the need for float kerning. Without this it is indeed far too coarse. I love the amount of adjustment here with the 0.1f change with Shift-Alt-arrow being about perfect.

Also agree that the -20,20 clamping should go. I don't like to second-guess a user's intention and would rather let them do as they wish.

Off-topic, but long-term we should consider adding a member to CharInfo to hold the default kerning (now assumed zero) or use kern to hold that and add a delta for the change from that. This would allow us to start users off with better default kerning values, from the font's kern table now or from its gpos table later.

But I love this patch, and can't find anything wrong with it. Although I am approving please consider Campbell's approval as blocking.

@pioverfour - sorry for not responding earlier. I missed that you had updated this so nicely and provided good example usage. Yes, I can completely agree with you on the need for float kerning. Without this it is indeed far too coarse. I love the amount of adjustment here with the 0.1f change with Shift-Alt-arrow being about perfect. Also agree that the -20,20 clamping should go. I don't like to second-guess a user's intention and would rather let them do as they wish. Off-topic, but long-term we should consider adding a member to `CharInfo` to hold the default kerning (now assumed zero) or use `kern` to hold that and add a delta for the change from that. This would allow us to start users off with better default kerning values, from the font's `kern` table now or from its `gpos` table later. But I love this patch, and can't find anything wrong with it. Although I am approving please consider Campbell's approval as blocking.

Harley Acheson approved these changes 2023-03-17 18:05:02 +01:00

Damien Picard commented

2023-03-18 15:31:03 +01:00

Thanks for the kind words :)

No worry about the delay—I thought editing the original message would notify you, but I guess I needed to re-request review for that.

Thanks for the kind words :) No worry about the delay—I thought editing the original message would notify you, but I guess I needed to re-request review for that.

Campbell Barton approved these changes 2023-03-21 09:32:21 +01:00

Damien Picard commented

2023-04-12 14:13:08 +02:00

Hi, do you think this can be merged?

Harley Acheson commented

2023-04-12 19:11:28 +02:00

Hi, do you think this can be merged?

Yes, sorry. I didn't realize that you couldn't do so yourself. I just tested it again and will get on it. Thanks!

> Hi, do you think this can be merged? Yes, sorry. I didn't realize that you couldn't do so yourself. I just tested it again and will get on it. Thanks!

🎉 1

Harley Acheson merged commit 2b6c1600cf into main

2023-04-12 19:12:07 +02:00

Harley Acheson referenced this issue from a commit

2023-04-12 19:12:07 +02:00

UI: Allow Float Kerning for Text Objects

Damien Picard deleted branch dp_kerning_float

2023-04-12 19:16:35 +02:00

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UI: Allow Float Kerning for Text Objects #105181